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Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics is a Tactical RPG for the Sony Playstation. Unlike traditional Final Fantasy games, battles in Tactics are fought on a map divided into a grid where characters can move about, and actions can only be executed within a certain range. Obstacles, terrain types, and elevation create further strategic elements. Each character is alloted one move and one action per turn. Order of turns is determined by an "Active-Time" like system, a character's 'Charge Time' filling a bar and deciding when that character gets to act. Spells also have charge times and once cast, will go off when the spell's charge time hits 100. An action's chance of success is best when attacking an opponent from the rear, and is least likely to succeed in frontal assaults. In addition there is Zodiac Compatibility. Characters in the game, including your own, are assigned certain Zodiac signs and opposing pairs are especially effective against each other. For instance a male Pisces and a female Virgo (such as Miluda) can inflict massive amounts of damage on each other, where as a male Pisces and a male Virgo (such as Wiegraf) will not be able to hurt each other very well. The Job System While job systems were familiar to the TRPG community, Final Fantasy Tactics used many classes seen in previous Final Fantasy versions. The localization of the game might have caused some of this to be lost in the translation. Jobs that had previously been known as White Mage got translated to Priest or Black Mage being refered to as a Wizard, for instance. As each (human) character develops they gain experience, which will increase their overall level. Characters also gain Job Points(JP) which allow them to level up within a job until they have mastered it. As a character gains more experience in various jobs, they gain access to other more advanced or specialized jobs. Some jobs like Calculator and Mime require invested time and experience in several jobs, and require mastery of others to be truly effective. Once learned, skills and job-specific commands can be used even after a character switches jobs, though a penalty may be applied. The game also allows you to collect creatures like chocobos, and while these creatures also level up they do not gain jobs or skills in Final Fantasy Tactics. The complete list of jobs that appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics is as follows: Archer, Bard, Calculator, Chemist, Dancer, Geomancer, Knight, Lancer, Mediator, Mime, Monk, Ninja, Oracle, Priest, Samurai, Squire, Summoner, Thief, Time Mage, and Wizard. *'Squire': Basic job for all warrior units (with the exception of the characters that possess a special class). Uses "Basic Skill." Ramza has a special version of this job class which gives him additional Basic Skill actions to choose from (as well as notably better stats and the ability to equip certain items other squires cannot), as does Delita until he undergoes a class change later. Squires have very useful skills that can be used to quickly level JP (example: Accumulate and Gained JP Up). *'Knight': Fine warriors, bold and brave, with etiquette. Uses "Battle Skill," which allows the destruction of an opponent's weapons, armor, and stats. Its Equip Sword, Equip Shield and Equip Armor abilities allow to equip your character with these items regardless of class. *'Archer': The Archer uses bows and crossbows and attacks from a distance. "Charge" allows strengthened attacks by delaying the shot for extra damage. The Concentration skill increases hit rate. *'Monk': Monks are warriors who train their bodies in the ways of martial arts. Their battle ability "Punch Art" has numerous different effects, such as striking from a distance or even reviving knocked out allies. Does not equip any weapon, but can deal considerable damage with his bare hands. *'Thief': Rogues who can steal anything from anyone -- Gil, items, even experience points. Use "Steal" command to obtain items from enemies, and possesses the Secret Hunt skill for Poaching. *'Geomancer': Warrior who uses a different "Elemental" spell depending on what type of ground s/he is standing on. *'Lancer': Warrior "Jumps" high and attacks enemies despite heavy arms and weapons with extra damage. An expert with spears. The real drawback is that when choosing to Jump over an opponent, you can't access the number of turns it will take, and they might be able to move out of the way; a major advantage though, is that while jumping, the character is immune to attacks and spells. *'Samurai': Foreign warrior who strengthens their soul by improving swordsmanship. Uses "Draw Out" skill to gain different effects from katanas in stock, which may cause them to break. Also has the ability to hold a single weapon with two hands increasing its power greatly. *'Ninja': Combatant who hides as a means of battle. Can "Throw" weapons at distant enemies (which results in the loss of the weapon) and hold weapons in both hands(a skill that can be passed to other jobs). Considered one of the best classes in the game. They have superb speed, they attack with a weapon equipped on each hand, and have a nice dodge rating. *'Dancer': Warrior who dances in battle in charming costumes. Her "Dance" abilities affect all enemies. Only female units may become dancers. Although dances lack attack power, there are some very attractive skills Dancers and Bards offer (+3movement, +3jump, Fly, etc...) *'Chemist': Basic job for all caster units. The Chemist prescribes items to restore HP and treat abnormal status. The only unit who can administer items at a distance from target unless it learns its special skill "Throw Item". *'Priest': The Priest controls holy magic by borrowing the power of the soul. Often uses recuperative and support magic, i.e. "White Magic." *'Wizard': The Wizard controls the elements which make up this world. Uses offensive magic, i.e. "Black Magic." *'Oracle': The Oracle has control over elements of life itself, through the manipulation of Yin and Yang, and is dominantly responsible for status-changing spells (Poison, Blind, etc.). This class is loosely based on the "Onmyōji". Uses "Yin Yang Magic." *'Time Mage': The Time Mage controls time and space, adding such status changes as Haste, Slow or Stop. This sorcerer toys with the laws of the universe with "Time Magic." *'Mediator': Warrior who fights battles by talking to the enemy. Uses clever "Talk Skill", affecting their stats and even enabling them to change sides. *'Summoner': Warrior who can call illusionary monsters, spirits of the highest rank, to deal massive damage to enemy units or restore health to friendlies. Uses "Summon Magic," a special contract with the spirits. Most powerful caster class in the game. Unlike any other caster class, the Summons do not damage friendly units. *'Bard': Warrior who uses his voice as a weapon. Can "Sing" songs that protect allies. Male units only. *'Calculator': Scholarly warrior who creates phenomena through math. Uses "Math Skill" to target all units with known spells who meet his or her conditions with no casting time or MP cost. Can be extremely powerful if the right Math Skills are utilized. Hard to use, as there is a high risk of damaging friendly units or healing unfriendly units. *'Mime': Warrior who can "Mimic" others. When an ally takes action, he or she mimics it completely. Special Classes Certain unique characters have equally unique job classes which replace the "Squire" option. *'Squire(Ramza)': Ramza's revised Squire class, with a few extra abilities appropriate to his leadership role. Also able to equip knight swords and armor, and exchanges the Job Ability Basic Skill for Guts. *'Holy Knight': Agrias and Delita. The "Holy Sword" skills inflict holy-elemental damage with no charge time and 100% hit rate. White Knight Wiegraf also possesses the power of the Holy Sword. *'Dark Knight': The elusive Gafgarion. His "Dark Sword" can vampirically drain HP and MP from its victims and replenish himself simultaneously. *'Holy Clerics': Ovelia, the Princess; Alma, the Cleric; and Zalmo, the Holy Priest. "Holy Magic" to give large amounts of protection and remove almost any status affliction. *'Engineer': Mustadio and Balk. Skilled marksmen "Snipe" to inflict immobility on enemies. Can also seal undead enemies. *'Heaven and Hell Knight': Heaven Knight Rafa's "Truth" and her brother Hell Knight Malak's "Untruth" deals a random number of magic strikes on random squares (within a 5-square, (horizontal & vertical,) X-shaped target zone). *'Astrologist': Olan Durai. Calls upon "Starry Heaven" to trap enemies within time. *'Divine Knight': Meliadoul, Rofel, and Vormav. The "Mighty Sword" skills damage enemies and destroy equipment, a step above the average Knight. *'Holy Swordsman': Orlandu only. Possesses "All Sword Skill": powers of the Holy Knights, the Divine Knights, and the energy-draining Dark Knights. He is arguably so overpowered that most players feel the game loses all challenge once this character becomes available for use. *'Arc Knight': Arc Knight Marquis Elmdor can draw out the "Sword Spirits," much like a Samurai, to engulf enemies, while Arc Knight General Zalbag uses his "Destroy Sword" to damage and weaken the stats of enemies. The dark influence of these powers allow them to "Blood Suck" enemies and turn them into mindless zombies. *'Assassins': Celia and Lede can instantly stop or kill anyone in their path with one touch. *'Temple Knight': Beowulf's basic job class. His "Magic Sword" takes the status-afflicting power of the Oracle to cripple single enemies with increased success rates. *'Dragoner': Dragon lover Reis. Utilizes "Dragon" skills to simulate awesome dragon breath attacks and turn enemy dragons into powerful allies. *'Soldier': Cloud Strife only. His "Limit" command allows him to perform skills based on the Limit Breaks he uses in Final Fantasy VII, including a new one, "Cherry Blossom". But to activate them, he must have the "Materia Blade" equipped. 100% success rate but has a slow CT for the most powerful limits. *'Steel Giant': Hulking Workers 7 and 8. "Works" and runs combat programs that devastate enemies. Every Work program that is run slowly eats away at the Steel Giant's lifeforce. *'Byblos': Related to the sinister Apandas, the Byblos uses powerful dark magic to plague the enemy. Plot The hero of Final Fantasy Tactics is Ramza Beoulve, initially a member of the Hokuten (Northern Sky Knights). He deserts after his best friend Delita Hyral's sister is killed. While on a mission to protect Princess Ovelia, Ramza discovers that the Murond Glabados Church is not what it is presenting itself to be, and that 12 Zodiac Stones held by legend to be holy are in fact conduits allowing the Lucavi demons to invade Ivalice. The demons plan on resurrecting their leader Altima, and Ramza cannot sit idly be in the face of this revelation. Labeled as a heretic by the Glabados Church, hounded by figures from his past, and shunned by his family, Ramza has a long difficult road ahead. Meanwhile war is erupting between the Hokuten and Nanten (Southern Sky Knights), which only serves to further the Lucavi cause. Can Ramza stop the Lucavi in time? PSP remake Final Fantasy Tactics:Shishi Sensou has been announced for the PSP. Category:Final Fantasy Tactics